Addressing the needs of rural youth is gathering attention with international development agencies, donors and private companies supporting new initiatives by governmental and non-governmental organizations in many parts of the world and in Africa in particular. Issues surrounding rural youths such as limited access to educational services, dependency on mainly unpaid labour in family farms and working in the informal sector as well as the considerable impact of migration on their livelihoods - especially affecting young women- have been widely recognized as significant. There is overall agreement that if youth issues are not addressed high rates of youth unemployment and under-employment will persist and overall development in African countries could be negatively affected. In this context and in line with its 2011 – 2015 Strategic Framework, The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in partnership with PROCASUR Africa, organized an eight day learning route on Innovative ideas and approaches to integrate Rural Youth in Agriculture. The progress in Kenya between the 11th to the 18th of August 2014. The aim of this Learning Route was to contribute to lesson-sharing and learning at country and regional level in order to build technical capacities within IFAD´s operations and partners in the ESA region on innovative strategies and approaches to engage rural youth in agriculture, increase employment and reduce poverty. One of the host case studies of this learning route was the Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools, (JFFLS) FAO: The JFFLS is as a holistic, participatory training strategy, promoting acquisition of technical and agricultural knowledge and life skills, involving different community stakeholders who live in vulnerable situations. It is a participatory training process based on practical and field learning, involving a group of some 25 - 30 children and youth who meet often, supported by a facilitator, sharing knowledge from experience gained on a demonstration plot located on one side of the school. JFFLS participants are expected to replicate their lessons learned back at home, encouraging food production and even enhancing their own families’ income by selling some of their produce.

1. BY T.K NYABUNDI
bondoffsn@gmail.com
0710846245

2.  Farmers Field Schools (FFS) is community
education, extension and empowerment
approach.
 A means of addressing rural vulnerability and a
variety of humanitarian concerns which threaten
livelihoods & food security
 FFS creates awareness, supports learning,
transfer technology and assist rural communities
in problem solving.

3.  FFS approach is a very popular programme now
expanded in many parts of Kenya and Sub-Saharan
Africa.
 A number of development partners are promoting this
approach because of its applicability, targeting, cost-effectiveness
and impacts.
 The focus and shift of approach from FFS to JFFLS
has led to speedy scaling up of the implementation
process in the sub- Saharan Africa.
 The JFFLS approach and concept brings together
across-section of stakeholders making information
dissemination and targeting faster and accurate.

4.  The original concept of farmer field school (FFS)
was first developed in Asia under the auspices of
FAO (1986 – 1988).
 Focus was to develop small scale rice famers’
expertise in integrated pest management (IPM).
 The approach has since been replicated and
adapted from the original IPM to cover different
challenges including modern farming techniques ,
life skills and livelihoods.

5.  The goal of FFS is mobilization, sensitization and
empowerment of rural farming communities
 In small groups (20 – 30 people) they identify their
production gaps, test for themselves best on –
farm options and practices which are adaptable
and sustainable to their farming situation

6.  Farmer Field and life schools (FFLS) and Junior
Farmer field and Life schools (JFFLS) are the
latest steps in an evolutionary chain of
participatory non-formal education methods.

7.  Conceptual framework:
FFS FLS
Crop /Livestock
ecology
JFFLS
IPM/ AESA
Human ecology
HESA
Crop/
Livestock/
Human
ecology
AESA &
HESA

8.  FFLS is based on non-formal experiential learning
process similar to the FFS.
 It seeks to develop capacity of rural farmers to best
address issues that affect community livelihood
such as HIV and Aids, gender and GBV, drug and
substance abuse, nutrition, hygiene and sanitation
and other tropical diseases.

9.  The curriculum design of FFLS follows the ecology
based FFS concept.
 However, FFLS combines both field and human
environmental issues - uses AESA ad HESA tools
in weekly data collection, analysis, presentation
and decision making sessions.

10.  The first farmer field schools were established in
Bondo in 2002 and were named Food Security
School (FsFs) because of their specific focus.
This was a technical cooperation program (TCP)
between FAO and government of Kenya in
response to the Horne of Africa Food Security
Initiative pilot program.

11. Concept / title Duration No. of groups
support
Amount of grant/
groups
Implementing
organization
Supporting agency
Food Security Field
School (FsFs)
2002 2003 16 42,000 FAO UN/FAO
2003 – 2004 67 45,000 Agriculture /Bondo
Food Security
programme
FAO, Plan – Kenya,
Agriculture Action
Aid,
Junior Farmer Field
School (JFFLS)
2004 – 2005 4 250,000 Agriculture Bondo/
Bondo Food Security
Programme
FAO/WFP
Livestock Farmer
Field School
2004 – 2005 3 50,000 Veterinary Bondo FITCA, ILRI
(EU)
Agro-biodiversity
Farmer Field School
and life school
2005 -2008 10 112,000 Bondo Farmer Field
School Project
FAO/ Netherlands
Partnership
Programme FNPP
Food Security
HIV/AIDS and
Gender Based
Violence
2008 – 2009 12 82,000 Plan-Kenya SIDA/FAO
UN joint programme
of support on HIV and
AID
2010 – 2012 20 62,000 Bondo Farmer Field
School Network
GOK/FAO/UN
TOTAL 132

12.  Food security and income
generation: JFFLS
participants (OVCS) also
have individual home
plots where they replicate
skills learnt (take home
massages) to boost
family food and income
status.

13.  Information
dissemination:- The
JFFLS clubs formulate
and perform theatre
activities (drama, poems,
role-plays, songs etc)
which assist in
dissemination massages
on households
vulnerabilities e.g. HIV
and AIDS, child abuse,
GBV, Drug abuse to the
wider community.

14.  Harvests from the JFFLS
demo plots are used to
start or boost the OVCS
school feeding
programme. This
reduces school drop outs
and improves school
performance.

15.  Proceeds from JFFLS learning sites is also sold
and the money used to buy other identified school
needs of the OVC’s drugs, books, uniforms farm
inputs and refreshments during schools action and
open days. In this way, JFFLS accounts is
boosted and the parent s (OVC’s) discover for
themselves the culture of farming as a business
(group saving and loaning)
 .


16.  Improved child and guardian relationship:-
parents/guardians also form adult (FFLS) groups
alongside their children to learn production and life
skills. They then recognize the efforts of their
children this raising the self –esteem of OVS’s.
 Establishment of JFFLS network in the region:-
The organization is recognized by the service
providers because of its presentation at all levels
of development committees in the region

17.  Over the implementation period the organization
has had relationships with various institutions.
International:-
 Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)

18.  World Food Programme (WFP)
 World Council of Credit Union(WOCCO)
Government of Kenya
 Agriculture Department Bondo
 Health Department Bondo
 Education Department Bondo
NGO’s
 Plan- Kenya, Action Aid Kenya, Care Kenya .
Research institutions
 ICIPE

19.  Egerton University Njoro
 Baraka College of
Agriculture
 UCC- Ireland
Local development
committees
• Constituency Aids Control
Council (CACC)
Companies
• Dominion group of
companies

20.  Lack of ownership of
activities at group level.
 Selection criteria of
targets groups based on
HIV and Aids orphans is
stigmatizing.
 Number of orphans
participating in JFFLS
compared to the total
school enrolment of
orphans.
 Certain activities make
the JFFLS be perceived
as a child labour exercise
– digging, watering, etc.

22.  The school feeding program is at times a blessing as
well as a disaster in teams of participant, enrolment etc.
 Lack of commitment by the school management.
◦ Head teachers
◦ Teacher facilitator
◦ Other school teachers.
 Un met demands and requests for JFFLS technical
backstopping by the relevant departments extension
officers.
 Loss of concept i.e concept being compromised by other
service providers.
 Demand for higher Education: The JFFLS concept
improve performance in national exams leaving many
OVC’s unable to join Institutions of higher learning

23.  In ability to conduct regular monitoring and follow-ups.
 Irregular trainings for implementing team.
 Prompt reporting, documentation and record
keeping.
 Lack of consistent partners.

24.  Mobilization and sensitization of all group members to
develop value chains of identified enterprises for strong
income generating activities (IGA’s)
 Establishment a model J/FFLS groups in the region to act
as a learning site for facilitators, visitors and any other
group interested in the JFFLS concept.
 Mainstream environmental conservation practices in all
JFFLS groups focusing on climate change, NRM, clean-up
days etc.
 Establish a central coordination office to house all JFFLS
network activities in the region.

25.  Mobilization and sensitization of all group members
to develop value chains of identified enterprises for
strong income generating activities (IGA’s)
 Establishment a model J/FFLS groups in the region
to act as a learning site for facilitators, visitors and
any other group interested in the JFFLS concept.
 Mainstream environmental conservation practices
in all JFFLS groups focusing on climate change,
NRM, clean-up days etc.
 Establish a central coordination office to house all
JFFLS network activities in the region.

26. EROKAMANO
bondoffsn@gmail.com